godstruth wrote:
Karate: being a Coptic Orthodox we don't have the same structure for Lent as maybe OCA ((what you wrote sounds like OCA's structure). We don't have a week before Lent when we don't fast at all. Nevertheless we agree with being careful about spiritual Phariseeism. You are right too about feasting when the church is feasting. God gave the Jews feasting days in the Old Testament and He said (or even commanded them) to feast and rejoice those days. However, one can easily lose the spiritual state gained in Lent if not careful. It's often a complaint that we feel spiritually stronger during Lent than after. So how do we keep the balance?
You are of course right about trying to keep what we gain from Lent. But of course we have to be careful.
I am in the Bulgarian church. I don\'t know much about the Coptic church, or even how the OCA church does things...but I\'m sure that the Bulgarians do have differences with both.
I think basically what I was trying to say is, keep talking with your priest. Many people have fallen because they have taken on too much, without the guide of spiritual father to guide them. Some people with the guide of a spiritual father can continue on certain spiritual feats outside of Lent, others are advised not to do so. There are good reasons for this, of course. Sometimes different people are told to fast differently or do different prayers...each helpful to the each person. But all are advised by a spiritual father. I even remember reading about Elder Cleopa who told a very exited young monk, \\"Do not do 3,000 prostrations! Do 100 for now, and say morning and evening prayers, and the prayers to the mother of God. Learn to love your brother. And do not do anymore!\\" He knew what the young monk really needed to begin, and stay on the right path.
I think to keep the spiritual balance the spritual father is the way to go. Because most times (in every aspect of life) we can be lazy or go overboard.
God bless!
